Real-life postpartum recovery tips to help you during those tender postpartum days.
When we asked our community what truly helped them during those tender postpartum days, the responses were honest, heartfelt and authentically real. From peri bottles by the toilet to freezer meals made with love, these small acts of care became sacred rituals of recovery.
This blog gathers the best real-life postpartum tips shared by our Earthside community. We received a wide range of tips from soothing physical care to emotional reminders that it’s okay to rest, cry, and ask for help.
Whether you’re preparing for your fourth trimester or already in the thick of it, we hope these words and wisdoms remind you that you’re not alone and that healing doesn’t have to be perfect.
🌿 1. Make Physical Recovery Easier
Adult disposable underwear
Many mums said disposable adult diapers were a lifesaver in those early days. No shifting pads, no leaks, and no washing ruined underwear when you’re already exhausted. Just simple, comfortable, and stress-free.
Ice first, then heat
A number of women shared the advice their midwives or doctors gave: use ice packs for the first 48 hours to reduce swelling, then switch to heat. A large, foldable heat pack that you can sit on was a standout recommendation.
Stool softeners — start early
One of the most repeated comments: begin taking stool softeners around 35 weeks and keep taking them well into postpartum. It can make that first bowel movement — and everything after — far less scary.
The “5-5-5 Method”
Five days in the bed, five days on the bed, five days around the home. It’s a simple postpartum rest framework that encourages healing, reduces strain, and honours the need to slow down.
🧺 2. Reduce Household Overwhelm
Paper plates are your friend
One of the most-loved tips: use paper plates, bowls, and anything disposable to avoid dishes piling up. In the haze of newborn life, anything that reduces cleanup is a gift.
Make every visitor help
Create a list of simple household tasks and put it on the fridge. When people offer to visit, they can pick a job and actually lighten your load.
Only host visitors who genuinely help
A lot of mothers said to protect your peace fiercely. Anyone who is coming “just to see the baby” can wait. Prioritise visitors who bring support — not stress.
Ask guests to bring food
Whether it’s takeaway or a homemade meal, having others bring food means one less thing you need to prepare or think about.
🍫 3. Nourish Yourself (Not Just the Baby)
A bedside snack cart
Stock snacks, drinks, nappies, and breastfeeding essentials beside the bed. Night feeding hunger hits hard, and it’s often impossible to get up. A snack cart becomes a little lifeline.
🧠 4. Emotional Support Matters Too
Mom rage is real — and normal
One tip that stood out: if you feel overwhelmed or angry, try breathing out slowly like you’re blowing up a balloon. It instantly relaxes the body and helps regulate those intense moments.
These tips aren’t from textbooks — they’re from mothers who have lived through the messy, beautiful, overwhelming days of postpartum and want to make the journey a little easier for the next person.
If you have your own tip to share, we’d love to hear it. Your wisdom might be exactly what another new parent needs to read today.